FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Merissa Blum, 215-409-6645 [email protected]
NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER ANNOUNCES SPEAKERS AND TOPICS
FOR SPRING/SUMMER 2019 AMERICA’S TOWN HALL
Topics include presidential emergency powers, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., and the biggest cases from the 2018-2019 Supreme Court term
Guests include former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, CNN legal analyst Joan Biskupic, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist George Will, and former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement
Philadelphia, PA (April 3, 2019) – The National Constitution Center today released the spring/summer 2019 lineup for its popular America’s Town Hall series of constitutional conversations and debates bringing together the best thinkers on the left, right, and center to explore the most important constitutional issues facing our country.
Spring/Summer 2019 America’s Town Hall Programming:
An Evening with Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara
6:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 10
Free for 1787 Society Members, $20 Members, teachers, and students, $30 Non-Members
Preet Bharara, former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and host of the podcast Stay Tuned with Preet, visits the National Constitution Center for his only book tour stop in Philadelphia. Bharara will join Center President and CEO Jeffrey Rosen for a wide-ranging conversation featuring anecdotes from Bharara’s time as a federal prosecutor, his thoughts on the justice system and constitutional governance today, and more, as described in his new book, Doing Justice: A Prosecutor's Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law. CLE credit available.
Joan Biskupic: The Life and Turbulent Times of Chief Justice John Roberts
6:30 p.m., Thursday, April 18
Free for 1787 Society Members, $10 Members, teachers, and students, $18 Non-Members
Joan Biskupic, legal analyst for CNN and the author of highly-praised books on Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O’Connor, Antonin Scalia, and Sonia Sotomayor, unveils her new biography of John Roberts, the chief justice of the United States. Taking us inside the momentous legal decisions of his tenure, Biskupic explores what she calls Roberts’ divergent priorities: to follow his conservative conscience and to protect the Court’s institutional legitimacy. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. CLE credit available. A book signing with Joan Biskupic will follow the program.
For Debate: Can the President Use Emergency Powers to Build the Wall?
6:30 p.m., Monday, April 22
Free for 1787 Society Members, $10 Members, teachers, and students, $18 Non-Members
This year, President Trump issued a presidential proclamation declaring a national emergency to fund the construction of a wall along the southern border. National legal commentator Jonathan Turley and National Review editor Rich Lowry participate in a timely debate examining the constitutional legal arguments for and against Trump’s recent emergency declaration. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. CLE credit available. Sponsored by a generous grant from the Charles Koch Foundation.
A Dangerous Idea: The History of Eugenics in America
6:30 – 8 p.m., Thursday, May 2
Free for 1787 Society Members, $10 Members, teachers, and students, $18 Non-Members
Exactly 92 years after the infamous Buck v. Bell decision, the Center presents a partial screening of “A Dangerous Idea: Eugenics, Genetics and the American Dream”—an award-winning documentary exploring the legal history of the eugenics movement in the United States. Following the screening, the film’s executive producer, writer, and attorney Andrew Kimbrell, acclaimed author and journalist Daniel Okrent, and law and bioethics scholars Paul Lombardo and Dorothy Roberts discuss the dark history of eugenics and the Constitution. CLE credit available. A DVD signing with Andrew Kimbrell and book signing with Daniel Okrent will follow the program.
Presidents Adams and the Problem of Democracy
12 p.m., Thursday, May 9
Free for Members, $10 Non-Members, $5 Teachers and students
Historians Nancy Isenberg and Andrew Burstein examine the parallels between the politics and personalities of father-son Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams as described in their new book, The Problem of Democracy: The Presidents Adams Confront the Cult of Personality. The book highlights the Adamses’ prophetic warnings about the dangers of partisanship, demagoguery, and the politics of personality. Lana Ulrich, senior director of content at the National Constitution Center, moderates. A book signing with Andrew Burstein and Nancy Isenberg will follow the program.
Women and the Civil War: The Untold Stories
6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Monday, May 20
Free for 1787 Society Members, $10 Members, $18 Teachers and students, $28 Non-Members
Noted historians, including Catherine Clinton, Thavolia Glymph, and Kate Masur, explore the untold stories of the women abolitionists and suffragists of the Civil War and Reconstruction and how their work influenced constitutional change. Following the moderated conversation from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m., guests will have access to tour the new Civil War and Reconstruction exhibit from 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. Presented in conjunction with the Center’s exhibit, Civil War and Reconstruction: The Battle for Freedom and Equality, and presented in partnership with Vision 2020’s Women 100: A Celebration of American Women, a national initiative headquartered at Drexel University.
George Will: The Conservative Sensibility
7 p.m., Thursday, June 20
Free for 1787 Society Members, $10 Members, teachers, and students, $18 Non-Members
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist George Will returns to the Center for a conversation about his new book, The Conservative Sensibility, described as a monumental new reflection on American conservatism. Will examines how the founders’ belief in natural rights articulated in the Declaration of Independence and protected by the Constitution gave birth to a great American political tradition now under threat—one based on limited government, religious freedom, and belief in human virtue and dignity. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates. A book signing with George Will will follow the program. Sponsored by a generous grant from the Charles Koch Foundation.
2019 Annual Supreme Court Review
12 – 2 p.m., Tuesday, July 9
Free for 1787 Society Members, $10 Members, teachers, and students, $20 Non-Members
Former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, legal scholars Erwin Chemerinsky and Frederick Lawrence, and Slate’s Dahlia Lithwick, examine the Supreme Court’s 2018-2019 term, which includes significant cases regarding religious displays, the death penalty, partisan gerrymandering, the census, and more. Melissa Garlick, civil rights national counsel for the Anti-Defamation League, moderates. CLE credit available. Presented in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League.
The National Constitution Center’s America’s Town Hall series features distinguished leaders, scholars, authors, and journalists who speak on the most significant constitutional topics of our time. Tickets for the National Constitution Center’s America’s Town Hall programs are free or discounted for Members and advance registration is recommended as programs fill quickly. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 215-409-6700 or online at constitutioncenter.org/debate. America’s Town Hall programs are also streamed live at constitutioncenter.org/live.
The National Constitution Center offers Continuing Legal Education credit in-person at America’s Town Hall programs and on-demand online. Programs are available for CLE credit in various states. Visit constitutioncenter.org/CLE for additional information.
The National Constitution Center’s onsite Town Hall programs are generously supported by the Paul S. Levy Programming Fund.
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About the National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. A private, nonprofit organization, the Center serves as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate, fulfilling its congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.” As the Museum of We the People, the Center brings the Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, the Center brings the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Headquarters for Civic Education, the Center delivers the best educational programs and online resources that inspire citizens and engage all Americans in learning about the U.S. Constitution. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.
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About the National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia brings together people of all ages and perspectives, across America and around the world, to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. A private, nonprofit organization, the Center serves as America’s leading platform for constitutional education and debate, fulfilling its congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a nonpartisan basis.” As the Museum of We the People, the Center brings the Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, the Center brings the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Headquarters for Civic Education, the Center delivers the best educational programs and online resources that inspire citizens and engage all Americans in learning about the U.S. Constitution. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.
